(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – This story about the impending hordes of periodical cicadas is not for the squeamish, but for the open-minded.
Soon, the Chicago area will be inundated with 17-year cicadas, or Brood XIII. Farther south in Illinois, the variety known as 13-year cicadas, or Brood XIX, will emerge. We’re talking billions and billions of the noisy critters.
What to do when the buzzing insects and their mating ritual take over? Well, one option is to eat them. At least this is something chef Joseph Yoon would like people to consider.
“The inside of the cicada nymphs have so much meat in them. They've been eating for 13 or 17 years,” Yoon says in the latest episode of Looped In: Chicago, which looks at the phenomenon of the two broods.
Yoon’s organization Brooklyn Bugs tries to raise awareness of edible insects. While much of the world is already on board with insects as food, he agrees it’s a comparatively tough sell in the United States.
He stresses that no one is suggesting people suddenly start eating bowls of insects. Rather, Yoon says, sustainably produced bugs could be folded into a broader diet.
Back to the cicadas. Yoon says preparation may depend on where you gather the cicada and which stage you find them at. But generally, he says, they can be deployed into dishes ranging from stir fry to tempura and kimchi and added to desserts.
What kind of flavor can brave diners expect? Yoon says the nymph cicadas can have an almond-like flavor while the adults have a “vegetal” flavor profile.
“There, thus far, has been no insect that I have eaten has come remotely close to tasting like a chicken,” Yoon notes.
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